Shares of Caterpillar Inc. jumped 1.7% toward a record high in morning trade Monday, enough to pace the gainers within the Dow Jones Industrial Average , after the mining and farming equipment maker was upgraded at UBS, which cited a growing cash position and signs suggesting the earnings upcycle will continue. Analyst Steven Fisher raised his rating to buy, after being at neutral for at least the past three years. He raised his stock price target to $140, which was 13% above current levels, from $116. Fisher said UBS's latest analysis of private non-residential construction suggests a re-acceleration in activity in the fourth quarter, with mid-single digit percentage growth into 2018. He said he believes Caterpillar will generate nearly $10 billion in cash flow between 2018 and 2020 after capital expenditures and dividends which can be strategically redeployed or returned to shareholders. "We think the cash story is particularly underappreciated, and will become more of a visible part of the investor dialogue going forward," Fisher wrote in a note to clients. The stock has soared 15% over the past three months, while the SPDR Industrial Select Sector ETF has tacked on 1.3% and the Dow has gained 4.4%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was trading tepidly higher on Tuesday afternoon, with shares of Boeing Co., Caterpillar Inc., and United Technologies Corp., helping the blue-chip gauge stage a modest rally from a triple-digit loss stoked by political tensions. United Tech , Caterpillar and Boeing shares were giving the price-weighted Dow a 35-point boost. However, slides in shares of Nike Inc. and home-improvement giant Home Depot Inc. were offsetting some of those gains in midday trade. The Dow most recently was advancing 31 points, or 0.1%, at 21,837, after being down by as much as 135 points or 0.6%, at 21,673, as the market was rattled after the latest offensive from North Korea. Pyongyang late Monday delivered its most provocative ballistic-missile launch in years, flying at least one missile over Japanese airspace and drawing widespread and swift rebukes from the U.S. and its Asian neighbors. Overall, the markets were off their worst levels, with the S&P 500 index flat at 2,443, while the Nasdaq Composite Index was 0.2% higher at 6,296.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Monday was set to rise slightly , with shares of Exxon Mobil Corp., and Chevron Corp., turning higher even as Wall Street looked to contend with the fallout of Hurricane Harvey. Shares of Exxon Mobil and Chevron were set to inch up at the open, with the Dow components faring relatively well even as the now-Tropical storm has left some 50 inches of rainfall and flooded large swaths of energy-rich Houston area over the weekend. Exxon closed its Baytown refinery, located on the Houston Ship Channel--the second-largest refinery in the country, processing as much as 560,000 barrels. Separately, energy-related industrials giant, Caterpillar Inc. , was slightly higher. Popular energy-focused exchange-traded funds, SPDR Energy Select Sector and United States Oil Fund LP , however, were trading lower in premarket action. U.S. traded crude-oil futures were off 0.5% at $47.42 a barrel. Overall, the stock market looked set to open higher, with futures for the S&P 500 , the technology-heavy Nasdaq-100 and the Dow all up at least 0.1%.

Caterpillar Inc. said Friday that total machines retail sales for the rolling 3-month period ending July rose 12% from the same period a year ago, with growth in all geographic regions, after rising 7% in June. Caterpillar's stock fell 0.5% in premarket trade. Resource industries retail sales increased 8%, after falling 1% in June, as growth in the Asia/Pacific and Europe, Africa and Middle East regions offset declines in North America and Latin America. Construction industries sales rose 13%, after climbing 10% in June, while energy and transportation sales fell 2% after rising 1% in June. Caterpillar's stock has rallied 22% year to date through Thursday, while the SPDR Industrial Select Sector ETF has gained 8.4% and the S&P 500 has advanced 8.5%.

Aug. 18, 2017 at 9:25 a.m. ET

by Tomi Kilgore

Caterpillar July 3-month rolling total machines retail sales up 12% from a year ago

Caterpillar July 3-month rolling total machines retail sales up 12% from a year ago

Caterpillar Inc. said Tuesday that its chief financial officer, Brad Halverson, has announced his retirement in 2018. Caterpillar will launch an external search for his successor. Halverson joined Caterpillar in 1988 as an accountant. Caterpillar shares are down 0.1% in premarket trading and up nearly 23% for the year to date. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 10.8% for 2017 so far.

The rising number of cyberattacks and the increasing level of sophistication of these events are creating pressures on companies to make sure their IT teams are communicating threats to their C-suites and boards in a way that they can understand.

Caterpillar Inc.

Caterpillar, Inc. engages in the manufacture of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives. It provides technology for construction, transportation, mining, forestry, energy, logistics, electronics, financing, and electric power generation. It operates through the following segments: Construction Industries, Resource Industries, Energy & Transportation, and Financial Products. The Construction Industries segment supports customers using machinery in infrastructure and building construction applications. The Resource Industries segment responsible for supporting customers using machinery in mining and quarrying applications and it includes business strategy, product design, product management, and development, manufacturing, marketing and sales and product support. The Energy & Transportation segment supports customers in oil and gas, power generation, marine, rail, and industrial applications. The Financial Products segment line business provides a wide range of financing alternatives to customers and dealers for Caterpillar machinery and engines, solar gas turbines as well as other equipment and marine vessels. The company was founded on April 15, 1925 and is headquartered in Peoria, IL.
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